FAVORITE ALBUMS of 2008
Scott Foley KRFC's Thursday Morning Mix

The year 2008 began for me in alone in an empty, too-small house in Independence, Oregon. I had sent my wife and children ahead to Longmont to settle our roomy new place while I remained behind to sell our Oregon house.

The very afternoon I had abandoned hope and called for the moving van to load up our final left behind possessions, I received a call from our realtor. A woman had expressed interest in our place, but was just waiting until I cleared out the furniture ...

In short, '08 has been a busy, blessed year. A good portion of that blessing has come from KRFC, my new radio home in Fort Collins. While it hasn't been the Best Year Ever for new music, it feels great to be able to assemble my year-end lists once again.

Among other highlights, 2008 introduced us to the unique sound of Fleet Foxes, surprised us with promising new artists like Star Anna and Danielle Talamini, as well as stronger-than-expected offerings by stalwarts Ryan Adams and Drive-By Truckers. 2008 will be remembered for the ragged and soulful sound of the Felice Bros, and for Will Quinlan's passionate ode to an alt.country sound all but forgotten.

For today's show, I celebrated the depth of these collections by diving deeper to uncover a few less familiar tracks. I also threw in an extra tune or three from new releases.

Mark Kozelek “Send In the Clowns” from The Finally LP on Caldo Verde

20) Matt Bauer “Old Clothes” from Island Moved in the Storm on La Societe Expeditionnaire

19) The Derailers “Blood Of a Man” from Guaranteed to Satisfy on Palo Duro

18) Rodney Crowell “Truth Decay” from Sex and Gasoline on Work Song/Yep Roc

Steve Earle & Alison Moorer “Nothing But a Child” from To Kate: a Benefit on Western Beat

17) Fleet Foxes from Fleet Foxes

16) Hayes Carll “I Got a Gig” from Trouble In Mind on Lost Highway

15) Calexico “Red Blooms” from Carried to Dust on Quarterstick

14) Gary Louris “She Only Calls Me On Sundays” from Vagabonds on Ryko

13) Star Anna “Devil Don't Remember My Name” from Crooked Path on Malamute

12) Band of Heathens “Hallelujah” from Band of Heathens on BOH

11) Yarn “Can't Slow Down” from Empty Pockets on self

Raconteurs “Old Enough” from Old Enough CD single on Warner

10) Chuck Ragan “Heading Down” from Bristle Ridge on Ten Four

9) Danielle Talamini “Save Me” from The Road Rises on self

8) Lucinda Williams “Circles and X's” from Little Honey on Lost Highway

7) Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson “Devil's Inside My Head” from Rattlin' Bones on Liberation

6) Ryan Adams “Natural Ghost” from Cardinology on Lost Highway

5) Will Quinlan & the Diviners “Thieving Life” from Navasota on Ironweed

4) Samantha Crain “Last Stanchion Goes Belly Up” from The Confiscation on Ramseur

3) Drive-by Truckers “Checkout Time In Vegas” from Brighter Than Creation's Dark on New West

2) Felice Brothers “Frankie's Gun!” from Felice Brothers on Team Love

1) Alejandro Escovedo “Sister Lost Soul” from Real Animal on Back Porch/Capitol

Alejandro Escovedo “People (We're Only Gonna Live So Long)” from Real Animal on Back Porch/Capitol